Are you Facing An Impaired Driving Charge?

Impaired Driving… DUI… Drunk Driving… All commonly used names for the same catastrophic criminal charge that can change your life forever. We don’t think anyone will dispute the fact that drunk driving should never happen, but sometimes …and unexpectedly, bad things happen to good people.

Our legal system is based on EVERYONE getting a fair trial. In Impaired Driving cases, just like in any other traffic violation, that is unfortunately not always the result.

We exist to ensure that EVERY traffic related charge has been correctly and thoroughly examined and that the results are complete and true... without bias.

When a charge as life changing as this has been handed to you, it is even more imperative that you completely understand what you’ve been accused of, have the opportunity to voice any disagreement or concern, and are clearly and effectively represented, so that, in the end, you have been fairly and justly treated on your day in court.

What Happens When You Are Charged With Impaired Driving?

If you are charged with this offense, your license suspension happens immediately and lasts until your court date! Currently, Calgary criminal court dates are as much as 12-14 months distant… and can be far longer in the surrounding rural jurisdictions. The Province of Alberta takes a position that driving is a privilege they offer to those who qualify for a license and therefore it can revoke that privilege under any terms it cares to bring in through legislation.

Impaired Driving is a very complex area of law that requires expert legal understanding. A consultation with our Impaired Driving counsel is always free so before you make a decision that is going to affect the rest of your life please consider contacting us to discover the options available to you.

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Traffic Ticket Tip: Impaired Driving

Impaired Driving and Drunk Driving are NOT the same thing! Party smart this New Years Eve or that life-changing ticket may be yours with fewer drinks than you ever thought possible.

Impairment can begin with as little as 1 to 2 drinks… nowhere near drunk …meaning that you qualify for an impaired driving ticket much sooner than you think.

Here's why:

Your body metabolizes alcohol at a rate of about 1 drink per hour. More than that and you stockpile the additional alcohol in your bloodstream and start to feel the buzz. The more you drink per hour, the more your reaction time slows.

The Facts:

The average driver reacts to brake lights in about 1 - 1.5 seconds. Add just a couple drinks and that slows to about 1.5 - 2 seconds. Doesn't sound like much? Well, a car going 50 km/h travels roughly 3 car lengths per second, much more at faster speeds. React just a half second slower and you’ll be colliding with that vehicle you thought you had lots of time to stop for… and you're NOT DRUNK.

The Bad News:

The average fine for Impaired driving is $1500 - $2000 with an immediate suspension of your licence until your final court date followed by a further 1 year, mandatory licence suspension… never mind that your insurance premiums will quadruple! At twice the legal limit fines can be more than $2000.

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Traffic Ticket Tip: Police Checkstops

It’s holiday party season once again and check stops will be out in full force. So what if you’ve had a couple wobbly pops, are far from wobbly, but find yourself preparing to roll down your window for the boys in blue? Is there really any way to fool that breathalyzer?

You know all those tricks you’ve heard about fooling a roadside breath test? Well, NONE of them work. Breath mints, candies, mouth wash, various other liquids, you name it… none of them work.

A breathalyzer test, whether roadside or in the police station, measures the alcohol content of your deep lung air. That’s why you are required to blow long and hard… it’s the air right at the end of your breath that gets measured. Any attempt to not blow in that manner guarantees you a Refuse Breath Sample charge which results in a suspension of your driver’s licence, a VERY hefty fine and a criminal record. The only excuse for not blowing is a medically confirmed inability to do so.

Be aware that police are also on the alert for open liquor. You may NOT have any open liquor within reach of the driver. That means a previously opened bottle of wine, beer or spirits cannot be carried inside the passenger compartment. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Traffic Ticket Tip: Police Check Stops

A Florida lawyer says keeping your window shut and remaining silent are the best ways to deal with police checkpoints. Will it work?

Our View:

In Alberta, and the rest of Canada, the right to drive has been ruled a provincial privilege. The province can do whatever they want in terms of creating regulations to control driver safety. In Alberta we have a law that says police can stop any driver at any time to ask for licence, registration and insurance without having any other cause.

Here’s the kicker… if you refuse to open your window, police are authorized to use whatever force is necessary to get it open… AND then you’ll be arrested for Obstructing a Peace Officer.

On top of that, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled several decades ago that check stops are a lawful tool for police to use. There's no hope of seeing check stops banned north of the 49th.

So... when that officer approaches your vehicle, it’s most definitely in your best interest to comply.